The family of a North Carolina man who was fatally stabbed at Mike's Side Pocket Tavern in West Asheville on April 4, 2012, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the bar and the landowner, claiming negligence.
According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, the alleged assailant, 45-year-old Steven Wike, was asked to leave the establishment earlier that day, and threatened to return and kill patrons as an act of revenge. At 9 p.m., he purportedly arrived back at the bar wearing a ski mask and carrying two knives. He killed 47-year-old Phillip Davis, the man whose family has filed the lawsuit, as well as another 53-year-old male.
"Because it was highly foreseeable that violence would occur at the tavern, and because it was foreseeable that Wike would return to the tavern to inflict violence, the tavern had a duty to take reasonable precautions to protect its patrons," states the lawsuit, as reported by the news outlet. "Employees of the tavern failed to call police when Wike specifically pledged to return to the bar to inflict violence upon the employees."
The plaintiffs are seeking upwards of $25,000 in damages, notes the source.
If one of your family members has died as a result of a business's negligent behavior and you live in Missouri, it is in your best interest to find a personal injury attorney who can aggressively pursue justice on your behalf. While nothing can ever truly make up for the loss of a loved one, these experienced professionals can assess your claim, try your case in court and help you recover damages you may be entitled to.